Where the past is still present.

Tag: Saxon

“Diamond Cut Diamond”, the second full-length album from Australian true metal quartet CONVENT GUILT, is set for a November 9 release via Gates Of Hell Records.

The follow-up to 2014’s “Guns For Hire” was recorded at various locations around Sydney in the first half of 2018 by Lachie Vercoe, who was also responsible for the album’s mix. “Diamond Cut Diamond” was mastered by Patrick Engel at Temple Of Disharmony. The album’s striking cover art featuring a strong colonial Australian image was created by Lena Richter of Diamonds and Rust Tattoos.

Possessing the same classic metal swagger as found on “Guns For Hire”, “Diamond Cut Diamond” contains seven slabs of song-oriented metal, graced with well-placed tinges of melody and NWOBHM influences. CONVENT GUILT (who feature bassist/vocalist/primary songwriter Ian, the guitar tandem of Andrew and Dario, and drummer Brent) have once again placed focus on emotion and energy over soulless musical precision, resulting in a must-listen for fans of early IRON MAIDEN, SAXON and TRESPASS.

According to Ian, the songwriting process for “Diamond Cut Diamond” was an organic one, although the band was sure to take their time when writing their all-important sophomore album. “Songwriting happens when it wants to rather than when I sit down to focus on it,” he says. “The oldest tracks on ‘Diamond Cut Diamond’ were written before ‘Guns For Hire’ was released. Even the newest tracks have been around a while. We rehearsed the tracks quite a bit and recorded rough demos to fine-tune our approach. With a bit of luck, this has added extra layers to the songs without compromising the band’s raw energy.”

Employing lyrical themes that, according to Ian, touch upon Australia’s “rich and dusty history,” “Diamond Cut Diamond” proves to carry plenty of philosophical weight as well. “Some of our lyrics deal with conquerors and the subjugated, the inbuilt weakness of men, depression-era outlaws and the insanity of social media. It’s a mixed bag thematically, but as always, lyrics are a vital part of what this band is about.”

It’s been four years since the release of the last CONVENT GUILT LP, so, as you could imagine, the band is chomping at the bit to unleash the album upon the waiting ears of the metal scene. As “Diamond Cut Diamond” shows, the wait was well worth it. “I’m sure it’s the same for most bands, but getting an album out seems like such a massive weight off our shoulders – it’s a ‘release’ in more ways than one,” says Ian. “We won’t rest on our laurels, but we’ll enjoy the relief and achievement as well. A couple of us have other projects we’re working on, so we’re giving those a bit more attention. And we’re riding the usual waves of life to wherever it takes us.”

Vinyl release of Chevalier’s sold-out 2018 Chapitre II EP will be out on 12” MLP on September 21, concurrently with CHEVALIER’s show at HARDER THAN STEEL festival with Omen, Oliver Dawson Saxon, Ashbury, Cauldron and more.

Chapitre II, was specially re-mastered for this vinyl release and features an exclusive BROCAS HELM cover version of “Fly High”.
MLP is limited to 500 green vinyl copies and includes one A4 insert. Layout by Annick Giroux.

Too often, hitting the “rewind” button on speed or thrash metal reveals bands more interested in rehashing past glories than offering something new. The speed/thrash explosion of the mid-’00s displayed that if anything, it’s far too easy to slap on a jean jacket, queue up Bonded by Blood, form a band, “borrow” some riffs and release subpar, uninspired material. Which brings us to Helsinki, Finland for an introduction to Chevalier, one of the most fiery and unique bands to hit the speed metal pavement in recent memory.

Formed a mere two years ago, Chevalier (who consist of vocalist Emma Grönqvist, the guitar tandem of Tommi and Mikko, bassist Sebastian Bergman and drummer Joel), immediately got to work in their rehearsal room, whereupon they recorded their A Call to Arms debut EP. While their recent split with Legionnaire recorded in a traditional studio, the band opted to return to the comfortable environs of their rehearsal room for the tracking of Chaptire II. Sure enough, it has given Chevalier a throttling, reverb-soaked sound that catapults speak not only to the band’s speedy roots, but the labyrinthine song constructions similar to NWOBHM upstarts Hell and Mercyful Fate.

Chapitre II is the band’s most diverse release to date, as evidenced by the expanded song lengths and oftentimes adventurous song layouts. Grönqvist, in her banshee-wailing, scream-queen glory, turns in a riveting performance, holding steady against relentless thrash beats and triumphant gallops. The songs themselves tackle a wealth of topics: “The Messenger” is about the rush to deliver a crucial message to one’s kingdom before paranoia kicks in; “Wrath of Steel” details a warrior’s thoughts on a bloody battlefield, and “The Curse of the Dead Star” is about impending doom from outer space.

The combination of fantasy and science fiction lyrics along with urgent, challenging, melody-laden speed metal instantly sets Chevalier apart from the pack, where every song is more than just a simple headbang-a-thon — they are journeys onto themselves.